After a tearful day, I am emotionally wiped. And as usual I find myself at blame for quite a bit of life. Me and my stupid ego always assume assume assume...and as we all know nothing good comes of that.
I need lots of prayer because I need people but not the need that is a good type. I am just a needy person. I hate being needy and hate that I don't know how to express my need without making people feel guilty. I need to work on that. I need God to provide people for me outside of JCS.
I need God to allow me to be content with who I am something that I can't do and that I can't conquer. I've been fighting and fighting since 10th grade.
I've got the brokeness part down I just need to the growing part to commence...sooner rather than later.
Prayer Requests for the Week:
1. my relationships
2. my interactions with my students
3. my emotional strength
4. money to buy curtains....or at least a store to buy fabric at.
5. contentment with my life and who i am as a person.
28 September 2008
27 September 2008
Pictures for All
This would be my empty room at the new house.
My Bed and my mosquito net!
Salto Biaguate(sp?) Our Sunday morning excursion...just one of the perks of having church in the evening....you can go on fun adventures in the morning.
My students practicing their readers theater productions. This group is doing a book from Reading A-Z called Hippo's Toothache.
Pinochio.
There will be more pictures later when I have more time to upload them. Today my activity is having my computer completely reformated because it caught a very bad virus. So sad news is I'm losing a little over half of my music library but thank goodness for Picasa because I won't be losing any of my pictures!!!!
18 September 2008
Learning Life's Difficult Lessons
Sometimes life is like a mosquito; annoying and painful. Currently life is just annoying; like a small mosquito that flies around your head at night when you're trying to sleep.
I have all these swirling thoughts that go around and around in my head while I'm trying to teach. I find myself distracted by these thoughts and by the 4 students that are not on task and growing increasingly annoyed daily. Today I had finally had it! I responded incorrectly and had to ask my students to forgive me...tough but necessary.
I am struggling with how to show my students Christ's love in a way that they can understand. Sometimes discipline needs to be done in a loving manner but I've been struggling to find that balance of love and logic (funny, someone actually wrote a book on that). Thankfully, we have other teachers who know the students are equally as willing and concerned to sit down with you and talk. I think without them I would be lost and ready to quit.
I came to the DR with the purpose of following 1) God's will and 2) to be broken...and that is what God is doing. He is checking things off my list and breaking me in more ways that I know how to handle at once. Being broken is often viewed as a bad thing, but God has shown me in the past that being broken often leads to more growth and knowledge in the long run. Pray that this continues to be the trend and that I learn to love my students despite being overwhelmed with them.
Life on the non-school front is good; I am no longer sick! Our house is getting settled and I have found a good church to call my church home here. Ironically, it's the church I wasn't planning on attending when I first moved down here. I am attending Amor y Quisqueya (roughly translated Love and Brotherhood)[also known to my TUSB team members from 07 as the "Jumping for Jesus" church]. I attended here my second Sunday ever in Jarabacoa back in 2007 on Easter on which church lasted about 3.5 hours...I was pretty sure I didn't want to go back. But now I call this church my church...yes, church is still about 3 hours but I love the 1 hour of worship and trying to decipher my way through the nearly 2 hour sermons each week.
Prayer:
My patience as I continue training my students (both is school work and in their behaviors)
Health (so far other than the flu I've been good).
My students (Carla Nicole, Noah, Luis, Estanli, Ronnie, Jumel, Nicole, Anya, Brenda, Emmanuel C., Emanuell O., Brian, & Marlyn)
The school as we continue our construction and ACSI accreditation.
I have all these swirling thoughts that go around and around in my head while I'm trying to teach. I find myself distracted by these thoughts and by the 4 students that are not on task and growing increasingly annoyed daily. Today I had finally had it! I responded incorrectly and had to ask my students to forgive me...tough but necessary.
I am struggling with how to show my students Christ's love in a way that they can understand. Sometimes discipline needs to be done in a loving manner but I've been struggling to find that balance of love and logic (funny, someone actually wrote a book on that). Thankfully, we have other teachers who know the students are equally as willing and concerned to sit down with you and talk. I think without them I would be lost and ready to quit.
I came to the DR with the purpose of following 1) God's will and 2) to be broken...and that is what God is doing. He is checking things off my list and breaking me in more ways that I know how to handle at once. Being broken is often viewed as a bad thing, but God has shown me in the past that being broken often leads to more growth and knowledge in the long run. Pray that this continues to be the trend and that I learn to love my students despite being overwhelmed with them.
Life on the non-school front is good; I am no longer sick! Our house is getting settled and I have found a good church to call my church home here. Ironically, it's the church I wasn't planning on attending when I first moved down here. I am attending Amor y Quisqueya (roughly translated Love and Brotherhood)[also known to my TUSB team members from 07 as the "Jumping for Jesus" church]. I attended here my second Sunday ever in Jarabacoa back in 2007 on Easter on which church lasted about 3.5 hours...I was pretty sure I didn't want to go back. But now I call this church my church...yes, church is still about 3 hours but I love the 1 hour of worship and trying to decipher my way through the nearly 2 hour sermons each week.
Prayer:
My patience as I continue training my students (both is school work and in their behaviors)
Health (so far other than the flu I've been good).
My students (Carla Nicole, Noah, Luis, Estanli, Ronnie, Jumel, Nicole, Anya, Brenda, Emmanuel C., Emanuell O., Brian, & Marlyn)
The school as we continue our construction and ACSI accreditation.
13 September 2008
Rest and Relaxation
My life has been super stressful right now with moving and school. Not that I wasn't expecting life to be stressful here, but I wasn't expecting it all at once.
Between getting a new student this week and moving to a new house I was shot. Instead of going to the beach like I had planned today I spent this morning throwing up and ill at my house alone. Way to spend the first weekend at the house...sick. It turns out to be a 24 hour flu bug so I'm done with it now. But I think I'll hold off being sick for awhile more.
Between getting a new student this week and moving to a new house I was shot. Instead of going to the beach like I had planned today I spent this morning throwing up and ill at my house alone. Way to spend the first weekend at the house...sick. It turns out to be a 24 hour flu bug so I'm done with it now. But I think I'll hold off being sick for awhile more.
11 September 2008
MOVING DAY!
Hooray for moving to new houses! Today is moving day here and my house is more than just excited! We are so ready to be gone from our house. Last night we had our last encounter with our flooding bathrooms for what hopefully will be the last time! Our new house is super cute and close to school. This will greatly reduce time it takes to get to and from school = the ability to sleep in.
07 September 2008
Week 5
Prayer:
Patience.
Patience.
Patience.
Our move this week.
Planning....that I won't get into a rut with my lesson planning. I'm trying re-evalutate my lessons; especially my Bible lessons. I don't have curriculum so I'm struggling. I want to use the ACSI curriculum, but I don't have $90 to buy the teacher's curriculum. The student book is only $17 so I'm considering buying that and using the activities from there. Please pray for guidance in making this decision. Also if anyone has good suggestions/old curriculum send them my way.
Patience.
Patience.
Patience.
Our move this week.
Planning....that I won't get into a rut with my lesson planning. I'm trying re-evalutate my lessons; especially my Bible lessons. I don't have curriculum so I'm struggling. I want to use the ACSI curriculum, but I don't have $90 to buy the teacher's curriculum. The student book is only $17 so I'm considering buying that and using the activities from there. Please pray for guidance in making this decision. Also if anyone has good suggestions/old curriculum send them my way.
05 September 2008
Week 4.... DONE.
Well I've completed week 4 of life in the Domincan Republic. This week was a crazy week because of living in the here during hurricane season. This week we only had 3 and a half days of school due to the Secretary of Education here. We have however been granted permission to decide our own school open and closing procedures because of being a private school. Hopefully we will not have this confusion in the future with future storms.
Also this weekend we were going to go to the beach, but we have canceled the trip due to hurrican Ike. So we have no plans at our house this weekend other than to relax.
Also this weekend we were going to go to the beach, but we have canceled the trip due to hurrican Ike. So we have no plans at our house this weekend other than to relax.
01 September 2008
It's Been One Month!
Well friends, I’ve officially been here for one month. I can hardly believe it’s been that long other than the fact that I have bills due at the end of this week. Oh, the joys of being a grown-up. Just a quick recap of what’ s been going on in my life as of late.
We’ll rewind all the way back to August 3rd and stepping into my house in the Dominican Republic. On August 3rd the water wasn’t working…we fixed that. I had no internet no big deal; the school had it so life was grand.
Skip ahead to August 8th…internet still isn’t working. Anna has moved in and things are going pretty well. The next week the internet came and went shortly after arriving. We got it in back in working order for all of maybe 5 days before our first tropical storm. Now we had no power, no running water, and no internet…fantastic.
August 18th-29th- School starts, internet is working, life’s going well. Natalie arrives with wireless. Good news for Anna and Natalie…I’m still wired at this point. Kelsey arrives alongside of Hurricane Gustav. No power, no internet, no running water. Power returns as does our wireless; we have it fixed only to experience a power surge. We lose our Vonage and wireless; thankfully not our modem. One blessing.
So after trying to reconfigure everything we are just accepting the fact that we do not have wireless and must do things stationary, one person at a time.
So we have some connection to the outside world…the next thing that goes wrong is our plumbing…evidentially we have an abnormally small septic tank…the tank was just emptied last spring and already most likely needs to be emptied already. Our house is teaching me especially to just go with the flow…I am not a very “fly by the seat of your pants” type person and this is really really really stretching me. Stretching and growing are very difficult when you are already going through some sort of culture shock. During this whole ordeal I wrote out why I’m here…I’m hoping that having it posted by my bed I can remember daily my purpose.
1. I am here to teach.
2. I am here to love my students and the other teachers.
3. I am here to be broken.
4. I am here to let God grow me as He sees fit.
5. I am not here to run away from dealing with past issues in my life!
Living in the DR has definitely grown me in so many ways already. One area besides flexibility I need to grow in is the ability to stand up for myself. I often find myself being overly responsible for everyone’s problems. I think that not have siblings I missed on out the whole over protection thing and I’m exhibiting those skills too late. There is a reason I get called “mom” on a daily basis. I am trying so hard to adjust to living with 3 other girls. Having never lived in a house with more that 1 other person I am finding new adjustments have to be made daily.
I also need to learn how to find joy in small situations of inopportunity. I know I’m not an outwardly exuberant person but I need to be to live here. The seriousness is literally making me tired…I need to learn how to have a balance…also a weakness.
Anyways, enough with the serious portion…here’s some fun glimpses into my school life. I love my students as I’ve mentioned several times. I wish that I had more resources to offer them and that I could have students observed for LD/ADD, etc…but that’s not the case. I am so thankful for my background knowledge about special ed; it has helped get me this far into the year. J
My day starts at 7:30 with staff devos and prayer…a truly unique experience and definitely a needed one.
7:55- roll outside. We greet Mr. Peterson “Gooood Morrnning Mi-st-er Pe-ter-son” [the kids pronunciation] and then do our morning announcements and the national anthem.
8:05-8:30 a little thing called seatwork or bellwork
8:30-9 Bible (still adjusting to having to teach this…to kids who only own Spanish Bibles)
9:00-9:50 Reading
9:50-10:05 Break time (aka eat yummy pastelittos from the cafeteria)
10:05-10:35 PE/Art – my prep time
10:35 – 11:05 Sociales (Dominican history) – more prep time
11:05- 11:50 Spelling
11:50-12:30 Lunch (I have lunch duty once a week)
12:30-1:10 Spanish – wait…another prep period [in all I get just about 1hour and 45 minutes of prep daily]
1:10-1:50 History (United States naturally…but with a slightly more global twist)
1:50-2:30 Language Arts
2:30- 3:00 Math
3:00 – 3:10 Read- Aloud
And thus goes my day; everyday…I love my prep time because I rarely have to plan my lessons at home. J At home all I do is grade and grade and watch Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman with my housemates…pretty sweet.
Currently I am fighting a cold so hopefully it will go quickly as I can not really afford to be sick right now.
This weekend we are going to the beach! J Super excited to go the coast since I’ve only been there once and it was to get on an airplane.
Here is some pictures and some classic examples of why I love my 3rd graders.
We’ll rewind all the way back to August 3rd and stepping into my house in the Dominican Republic. On August 3rd the water wasn’t working…we fixed that. I had no internet no big deal; the school had it so life was grand.
Skip ahead to August 8th…internet still isn’t working. Anna has moved in and things are going pretty well. The next week the internet came and went shortly after arriving. We got it in back in working order for all of maybe 5 days before our first tropical storm. Now we had no power, no running water, and no internet…fantastic.
August 18th-29th- School starts, internet is working, life’s going well. Natalie arrives with wireless. Good news for Anna and Natalie…I’m still wired at this point. Kelsey arrives alongside of Hurricane Gustav. No power, no internet, no running water. Power returns as does our wireless; we have it fixed only to experience a power surge. We lose our Vonage and wireless; thankfully not our modem. One blessing.
So after trying to reconfigure everything we are just accepting the fact that we do not have wireless and must do things stationary, one person at a time.
So we have some connection to the outside world…the next thing that goes wrong is our plumbing…evidentially we have an abnormally small septic tank…the tank was just emptied last spring and already most likely needs to be emptied already. Our house is teaching me especially to just go with the flow…I am not a very “fly by the seat of your pants” type person and this is really really really stretching me. Stretching and growing are very difficult when you are already going through some sort of culture shock. During this whole ordeal I wrote out why I’m here…I’m hoping that having it posted by my bed I can remember daily my purpose.
1. I am here to teach.
2. I am here to love my students and the other teachers.
3. I am here to be broken.
4. I am here to let God grow me as He sees fit.
5. I am not here to run away from dealing with past issues in my life!
Living in the DR has definitely grown me in so many ways already. One area besides flexibility I need to grow in is the ability to stand up for myself. I often find myself being overly responsible for everyone’s problems. I think that not have siblings I missed on out the whole over protection thing and I’m exhibiting those skills too late. There is a reason I get called “mom” on a daily basis. I am trying so hard to adjust to living with 3 other girls. Having never lived in a house with more that 1 other person I am finding new adjustments have to be made daily.
I also need to learn how to find joy in small situations of inopportunity. I know I’m not an outwardly exuberant person but I need to be to live here. The seriousness is literally making me tired…I need to learn how to have a balance…also a weakness.
Anyways, enough with the serious portion…here’s some fun glimpses into my school life. I love my students as I’ve mentioned several times. I wish that I had more resources to offer them and that I could have students observed for LD/ADD, etc…but that’s not the case. I am so thankful for my background knowledge about special ed; it has helped get me this far into the year. J
My day starts at 7:30 with staff devos and prayer…a truly unique experience and definitely a needed one.
7:55- roll outside. We greet Mr. Peterson “Gooood Morrnning Mi-st-er Pe-ter-son” [the kids pronunciation] and then do our morning announcements and the national anthem.
8:05-8:30 a little thing called seatwork or bellwork
8:30-9 Bible (still adjusting to having to teach this…to kids who only own Spanish Bibles)
9:00-9:50 Reading
9:50-10:05 Break time (aka eat yummy pastelittos from the cafeteria)
10:05-10:35 PE/Art – my prep time
10:35 – 11:05 Sociales (Dominican history) – more prep time
11:05- 11:50 Spelling
11:50-12:30 Lunch (I have lunch duty once a week)
12:30-1:10 Spanish – wait…another prep period [in all I get just about 1hour and 45 minutes of prep daily]
1:10-1:50 History (United States naturally…but with a slightly more global twist)
1:50-2:30 Language Arts
2:30- 3:00 Math
3:00 – 3:10 Read- Aloud
And thus goes my day; everyday…I love my prep time because I rarely have to plan my lessons at home. J At home all I do is grade and grade and watch Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman with my housemates…pretty sweet.
Currently I am fighting a cold so hopefully it will go quickly as I can not really afford to be sick right now.
This weekend we are going to the beach! J Super excited to go the coast since I’ve only been there once and it was to get on an airplane.
Here is some pictures and some classic examples of why I love my 3rd graders.
Spelling Word Sentences
Spelling words are in italics…just a quick glimpse into the minds of Dominican 3rd graders…and their knowledge of American pop culture!
Marlyn is fuzzy.
At recess I played with the Jonas Brothers.
We are on the globe.
I am frosty.
I am fuzzy.
At school Hannah Montana stepped on my foot.
Before school the Jonas Brothers hug me.
Joe Jonas have fuzzy hair.
Prayer Requests
- the rain will hold off long enough for the septic tank to be fixed if needed.
- i will continue adjusting to life with multiple roommates.
- i will learn to be flexible.
Praises
- no one has gotten Denge like last year :)
- my legs are still eaten alive; but not to the point they were at spring break.
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